Method of securing plastic closures and containers



y 1968 R. c. ALLEN 3,385,741

METHOD OF SECURING PLASTIC CLOSURES AND CONTAINERS Original Filed March 2. 1964 ass B6626]? T1 6 6 mvem'on RICHARD c. ALLEN United States Patent 3,385,741 MlErK-HUD @F SECURING PLASTIC CLOSURES AND CONTAINERS Richard C. Alien, Glen Eilyn, IlL, assignor to Continental Can Company, lino, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Original appiication Mar. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 348,419, now Patent No. 3,261,516, dated July 19, 1966. Divided and this application Apr. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 546,091

13 Claims. (Ql. 156-69) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method of securing a closure to a container by contasting portions thereof and imparting relative rotation therebetween such that the material of the components fuses to maintain the container and closure in assembled relationship. A chamber is provided between a neck of the container and a peripheral skirt of the closure to receive and confine the fiowable, fusible material. The closure may he of a two-piece construction in which case relative rotation is imparted between the outermost member and the container to fuse the innermost member to the container.

This is a division of my copending, commonly assigned application Ser. No. 348,419, filed Mar. 2, 1964, now Patent No. 3,261,516.

This invention relates to a novel method of securing a dispensing closure to a plastic container by a novel spinwelding process.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel method of securing a separable plastic dispensing closure to a piastic container by performing the steps of interlocking by assembling a plurality of caps which form the closure, positioning a peripheral skirt of an innermost one of the caps in spaced telescoped relationship to a neck of a container, and rapidly relatively rotating an outermost one of the caps thereby indirectly rotating the innermost cap relative to the container to fuse together the material of the innermost cap and the container whereby the dispensing closure is fixedly secured to the container.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method of securing a plastic dispensing closure including innermost and outermost caps having peripheral skirts terminating in peripheral edges to a plastic container terminating in a neck by interlockingly assembling the caps in telescoped relationship, positioning the peripheral skirt of the innermost cap in telescoped spaced relationship to the neck of the container, rapidly relatively rotating the outermost cap and indirectly rotating the innermost cap with respect to the container, maintaining the skirt of the innermost cap and the neck of the container in relative spaced relation, and contacting the peripheral edge of the innermost cap against the container body whereby the materials of the innermost cap and the container are fused together, and any excess material which may flow during the fusion of the innermost cap and the container is permitted to enter the space between the neck of the container and the skirt of the innermost cap.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method of securing a plastic closure to the neck of a plastic container, the closure being of the type which includes innermost and outermost relatively rotatable caps having means for limiting the relative rotation thereof, and including peripheral skirts terminating in peripheral edges comprising the steps of assembling the caps and telescoping the skirt of the innermost cap in spaced relationship to the neck of the container, rotating the outermost cap relative to the innermost cap until the limiting means prevents further relative rotation therebetween, thereafter rotating both caps relative to the container by solely I0- I Patented May 28, 1968 tating the outermost cap, and contacting the peripheral edge of the innermost cap against the container body whereby the materials of the innermost cap and the container are fused together.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel method including each of the steps immediately above set out, in which the caps additionally include registrable dispensing openings by which the relative movement between the caps unregisters any of the openings in the caps which are in registration prior to the relative rotation between the caps.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of a dispensing closure of this invention and illustrates a snap cap and a spin cap of the closure prior to the assembly thereof and a container with which the closure is associated.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary exploded top perspective view of the assembled snap cap and spin cap prior to being secured to the container.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken through the axis of the assembled caps, and illustrates the spin cap being spin-welded to the container by rotating a chuck engaging the snap cap.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top view with parts broken away for clarity, and illustrates another dispensing closure secured to a container.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4, and illustrates a spin cap spin-welded to a container and a dispensing position of the dispensing closure.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4 after a snap cap of the closure has been rotated relative to the spin cap, and illustrates the non-dispensing position of the dispensing closure.

A novel combined dispensing closure and container is shown in FIGURES 1 through 3 of the drawing, and is generally designated by the reference numeral 8. The dispensing closure and container 8 includes a dispensing closure 10 having a spin cap 11 and a snap cap 12, while the container is generally designated by the reference numeral 14. The dispensing closure 10 and the container 14 are both preferably constructed from relatively resilient plastic material, such as polyethylene or similar plastic material.

The spin cap 11 has an end wall 13 integrally joined at a radius portion (unnumbered) to a depending peripheral skirt 15. A plurality of identical dispensing openings 16 (FIGURE 1) are formed in the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11. In the preferred form of the invention, there are seven such dispensing openings 16 formed in the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11. However, more or less than this number of dispensing openings can be provided in the spin cap 11.

The depending peripheral skirt 15 of the spin cap 11 includes an inner surface or wall 17, an upper external surface or wall 18, a lower external surface or wall 20 spaced from the upper external surface 18 and a bottom edge 21. An external peripheral head 22 forms an integral portion of the skirt 15 between the exterior surfaces 18 and 20.

A plurality of identical keys or projections 23 (FIG- URE 1) project radially outwardly beyond the upper external surface 18 of the skirt 15 between the annular head 22 and the end wall 13. Each of the keys 23 includes oppositely directed abutment surfaces 24 and 25,

the purpose of which will be described more fully hereafter.

The snap cap 12 comprises a substantially thick end wall 26 (FIGURE 3) which is centrally recessed and reduced in thickness at 27. The end Wall 26 is joined by an annular radius portion 28 to 21 depending peripheral skirt 30. A bottom edge 21 of the peripheral skirt 30 has a camming surface or wall 32.

The camming wall 32 permits the snap cap 12 to be externally telescoped and secured to the spin cap 11 by a conventional snapping action which seats the head 22 of the spin cap 11 in a radially inwardly directed annular groove 33 of the skirt 30. The bead 22 cooperates with a camming wall or surface 34 of the groove 33 to constantly urge a plurality of integral circular bosses 36 and 37 (FIGURES 1 and 3) into contact with the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11.

The bosses 36 and 37 are substantially identical except for the provision of an identical dispensing opening 38 in each of the bosses 36 whereas no such openings are provided in the bosses 37. In the preferred embodiment of this invention there are seven such bosses 36 corresponding to the seven dispensing openings 16 in the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11, and a single dispensing opening 38 in each of the bosses 36. The bosses 36 are spaced from each other and from the axis of the snap cap 12 a distance substantially equal to the spacing between adjacent ones of the dispensing openings 16 and the respective distance between each of the dispensing openings 16 and the axis of the spin cap 11.

The bosses 37 are similarly spaced and each boss 37 is positioned between adjacent ones of the bosses 36, as is clearly illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawing. The particular arrangement of the bosses 36, 37 and the dispensing openings 16 and 38 is such that the dispensing closure can be either closed or opened for dispensing purposes by rotating the snap cap 12 with respect to the spin cap 11 in a manner which will be described fully hereafter.

The depending peripheral skirt 30 of the snap cap 12 has an exterior surface 40 provided with an annular knurled portion 41 (FIGURE 3) to facilitate the gripping of the snap cap 12 both for purposes of dispensing and to secure the dispensing closure 11 to the container 14 in a manner to be described hereafter. An internal wall or surface of the skirt 30 is provided with a plurality of axially extending inwardly directed identical projections 43 (FIGURE 1), between adjacent ones of which lies a keyway 44. The number of keyways 44 corresponds to the number of keys 23 of the spin cap 11 and each key 23 is received in an associated keyway 44, in the manner best shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawing. Each of the keyways 44 further includes opposing abutment surfaces 45 and 46 (FIGURE 1). As can be best visualized in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, each abutment surface 46 of an associated keyway 44 cooperates with an abutment surface 24 on an associated key 23 of the spin cap 11 to limit the counterclockwise rotation of the snap cap 12 with respect to the spin cap 11, at which point the openings 16 and 38 are not in registration and are closed by associated ones of the non-apertured bosses 37 of the snap cap 12. When the snap cap 12 is rotated in a clockwise direction, again as visualized in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, to bring the openings 16 and 38 into registration, each of the abutment surfaces 45 of the keyways 44 contacts an abutment surface 25 of an associated key 23 of the spin cap 11, to stop the rotation of the snap cap 12 in a position in which the openings 16 and 38 are substantially axially aligned (FIGURE 3). This clockwise rotation of the snap cap 12 with respect to the spin cap 11 to bring the openings 16 and 38 into registration in the dispensing position of the dispensing closure 10 is opposite to the normal counterclockwise rotation required to open a conventional closure.

The container 14 comprises a container body 50 having a shoulder 51 integrally joined to an upstanding neck 52 terminating in an upper edge 53 defining an opening (unnumbered) of the container 14. The neck 52 of the container 14 has a lower peripheral wall or surface 54, an upper peripheral wall or surface 55 and an outwardly directed shallow annular head or rib 56 between the walls 54 and 55, as is best illustrated in FIGURES l and 3 of the drawing.

In accordance with the novel method of this invention, the snap cap 12 is first assembled to the spin cap 11 by telescoping the peripheral skirts 15 and 39 relative to each other until the bead 22 of the skirt 15 snaps into the groove 33 of the snap cap 12. In the assembled position of the dispensing closure 19, the keys 23 are each positioned in an associated one of the keyways 44 of the snap cap 12, and depending upon the position of the keys 23 and the keyways 44, the dispensing openings 16 and 38 in the respective spin and snap caps 11 and 12 are either in complete registration as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, or are completely unregistered with the bosses 37 overlying and closing an associated one of the openings 16, or are in partial registration.

The container 14 is then filled with a dusty or pulverulent product, such as baby powder, which is to be dispensed therefrom. This is accomplished by merely filling the container 14 through the opening (unnumbered) in the neck 52 of the container 14.

The dispensing closure 10 is then telescoped with respect to the neck 52 of the container 14 in the manner clearly illustrated in FIGURE 3 with the inner surface 17 of the spin cap 11 being slightly spaced from the upper and lower external surfaces 55 and 54 respectively of the neck 52 by the rib 56. The skirt 15 of the spin cap 11 is thus spaced from a major portion of the neck 52 of the container 14 by a narrow annular space or volume 57 and the bottom edge 21 of the depending skirt 15 rests upon the shoulder 51 of the container 14 closely adjacent the neck 52.

The assembled container 14 and the dispensing closure 10 is then, positioned beneath a vertically reciprocal and rotatable driving tool 61) which is normally spaced above and in axial alignment with the container 14.

The driving tool 65) forms a portion of a conventional spin-welding machine (not shown) which may, for example, comprise an air cylinder into which is received a piston rod 61 of the driving tool 60. The piston rod 61 is driven in a conventional manner by a variable speed motor (also not shown) in order that the rotational speed of the driving tool 60 can be varied. The driving tool 60 includes an annular skirt 62 which frictionally grips the knurled portion 41 of the snap cap 12 when, the driving tool 60 is reciprocated downwardly to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3. The driving tool 69 also includes a plurality of downwardly directed bosses 63 (only one of which is shown in FIGURE 3) which corresponds to the number of dispensing openings 38 in the snap cap 12 and which seats in the openings 38 as shown in FIGURE 3.

With the driving tool 60 positioned as shown in FIG- URE 3 of the drawing and the container 14 held in a conventional chuck (not shown) the variable speed motor is energized to rotate the piston rod 61 and the driving tool 60. The rotation of the driving tool 66 is imparted to the snap cap 12 through the frictional contact between the annular skirt 62 and the knurled portion 41 as well as through the engagement of the bosses 63 in the dispensing openings 38. The rotation of the snap cap 12 is imparted to the spin cap 11 by the abutting contact between the surfaces 24 and 25 of the plurality of keys 23 with the respective surfaces 45 and 46 of the keyways 44 depending upon the direction in which the driving too] 60 and the spin cap 12 are rotated. Since the counterclockwise rotation of the snap cap 12 with respect to the spin cap 11 places the dispensing closure 10in the non-dispensing position thereof with the bosses 37 overlying the dis pensing openings 16 in the spin cap 11, the driving tool 60 is preferably rotated in a counterclockwise direction as is indicated by the directional arrow of FIGURE 3. If the surfaces 24 and 46 of the respective keys 23 and keyways 44 are in engagement the spin cap 11 will immediately rotate in a counterclockwise direction However, if the dispensing closure is in the dispensing position thereof with the dispensing openings 16 and 38 in axial alignment, the snap cap 12 will rotate relative to the spin cap 11 until the surfaces 46 and 24 are in abutment, after which both caps will rotate simultaneously.

During this rotation of the snap cap 12 and the spin cap 11, air is introduced into the air cylinder of the conventional spin-welding apparatus to force the driving tool 60 downwardly as viewed in FIGURE 3 of the drawings at a predetermined pressure to force the bottom edge 21 of the spin cap skirt against the shoulder 51 of the container 14. The combination of the heat of friction between the bottom edge 21 of the skirt 15, and the shoulder 51 of the container 14 and the pressure applied by the driving tool 60 causes the material of both the container and the skirt 15 to melt and flow. The rotation of the driving tool 60' is then stopped by a conventional clutch mechanism (not shown) and the melted material solidifies and fuses to form a generally annular spin weld area 64 (FIG- URE 3) between the bottom edge 21 of the skirt 15 and theshoulder 51 of the container 14. A portion of the material forming the spin-weld area 64 flows into the annular volume 57 between the surfaces 17 and 54 of the respective spin cap 11 and the neck 52 during the spinwelding operation and is entrapped therein. After the material forming the spin-weld 64 has cooled and solidified, the piston rod 61 is reciprocated upwardly to relieve the pressure between the spin cap 11 and the container 14. After the drive tool 60 is spaced sufliciently above the dispensing closure 10, the container 14 is removed from the chuck (not shown) and an additional container and dispensing closure may then be spin-welded together in the manner just described.

It should be noted that during the spinning operation just described the absence of contact between the end panel 13 of the closure 11 and the edge 53 of the container neck 52 prevents the material thereof from fusing together and/or accidentally flowing into and contaminating the container.

A product packaged in the container 14 is dispensed therefrom by rotating the snap cap 12 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2 of the drawing until the openings 16 and 38 of the respective caps 11 and 12 are in axial alignment as shown in FIGURE 3. When the dispensing operation is completed, the snap cap 12 is merely rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG- URE 2 of the drawing until the bosses 37 overlie and close the dispensing opening 16 in the end wall 13 of the spin cap 11.

Another dispensing closure is shown in FIGURES 4 through 6 of the drawing and is generally designated by the reference numeral 65. The dispensing closure 65 comprises a snap cap 66 and a spin cap 67, each of which is preferably constructed from plastic material such as polyethylene or similar thermoplastic material.

The spin cap 67 comprises an end wall having upper and lower surfaces (unnumbered). The end wall 68 of the spin cap 67 is joined to an integral depending peripheral skirt 70 by an annular radius portion 71. A plurality of dispensing openings 72, only one of which is illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 are formed in the end wall 68 of the spin cap 67. There are seven such dispensing openings 72 and the relationship of adjacent ones of the openings 72 as well as the distance of each of the openings 72 from the axis of the spin cap 67 is identical, for the purposes of this invention, to the relationship of the dispensing openings 16 of the spin cap 11.

Midway between each of the dispensing openings 72 in the end wall 68 of the spin cap 67 is an upwardly directed integral convex boss 73. There are seven such bosses 73 with each boss being positioned between adjacent ones of the openings 72, and each boss is spaced from the axis of the spin cap 67 a distance equal to the distance between the axis of the spin cap 67 and the dispensing openings 72.

The peripheral skirt 79 of the spin cap 67 terminates in a bottom edge 74 and includes an integral external annular head 75. The head 75 of the skirt 7% is identical to the bead 22 of the skirt 15 and it is therefore considered unnecessary to describe the head 75 for a complete unerstanding of the construction and operation of the dispensing closure 65.

The snap cap 66 of the dispensing closure 65 conprises a thickened end wall 76 having a reduced central area 77. The end wall 76 of the snap cap 66 is integrally joined by an annular radius portion 73 to a depending peripheral skirt 8% telescoped about the skirt 7% of the spin cap 67, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawing.

The end wall 76 of the snap cap 66 is provided with a plurality of dispensing openings 81, only one of which is shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings. There are preferably seven such dispensing openings 81, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawing, and each of the dispensing openings 81 is spaced from an adjacent opening 31 a distance equal to the spacing between the dispensing opening 72 in the end wall 68 of the spin cap 67. The dispensing openings 81 are also spaced a distance from the axis of the snap cap 66 equal to the distance between the opening 72 and the axis of the spin cap 67. Thus, in a dispensing position of the dispensing closure 65 (F rGURE 5), the plurality of dispensing openings 72 and 81 are in alignment.

Midway between adjacent ones of the plurality of dispensing openings 81 in the end wall 76 of the snap cap 66 is a downwardly opening concave recess or indentation 82, only one of which is illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawing. There are seven such recesses :22 in the end wall 76 of the snap cap 66, and each recess 82 is spaced from the axis of the snap cap 66 a distance corresponding to the spacing of the bosses 73 from the axis of the spin cap 67. Thus, the bosses 73 and the recesses 82 are in axial alignment when the snap cap 66 and the spin cap 67 are positioned as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawing, with the dispensing openings 72 and 81 in registration. The snap cap 66 is rotated in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 4 to bring the dispensing openings 72 and 81 out of registration, as shown in FIGURE 6 of the drawing. The entry of the bosses 73 into the dispensing openings 81 provides positive stops for securing the caps 66 and 67 in the non-dispensing position thereof (FIGURE 6) while the entrance of the bosses 73 into the recesses or indentations 82 (FIGURE 5) provides positive stops for maintaining the dispensing openings 72 and S1 in axial alignment in the dispensing position of the dispensing closure as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5.

The peripheral skirt 8% of the snap cap 66 is substantially identical to the peripheral skirt 36) of the snap cap 12 of FIGURES 1 through 3 of the drawing. However, the skirt 89 is slightly longer than the skirt 3G, and prior to securing the dispensing closure 65 to a container 83 by the spin-welding process heretofore described, a bottom edge 84 of the skirt 8%) is spaced slightly above the bottom edge of the skirt 70 of the spin cap 67. This slight projection of the bottom edge '74 of the skirt 7t) beyond the bottom edge 84 of the skirt allows the skirt 7% to be spin-welded to a shoulder 85 of the container 83 in a manner identical to that heretofore described in the consideration of the dispensing closure 10, without the occurrence of a spin-weld developing between the bottom edge 84 of the skirt 8% and the shoulder 85.

The skirt 80 of the snap cap 66 has a radially inwardly opening annular groove 86 including a camming surface or wall 87 against which an annular bottom edge (unnumbered) of the annular bead 75 coacts in the manner heretofore described in connection with the dispensing closure 10. Thus, the spin caps 67 and the snap cap 66 are assembled in a manner substantially identical to the assembly of the dispensing closure 10, except that the dispensing closure 65 has no keys or keyways corresponding to the respective elements 23 and 44 of the dispensing closure 10. However, the bosses 73, the recesses 82 and the plurality of dispensing openings 81 in the end wall 76 prevent the rotation of the snap cap 66 relative to the spin cap 67 when the bosses 73 are engaged in the recesses 82 or in the dispensing openings 81. Thus, the container 83 can be first filled with a dispensible pulverulent product through an open neck 88 thereof, identical to the neck 52 of the container 14, after which the dispensing closure 65 can be spin-welded to the shoulder 85 in the manner identical to that heretofore discussed. It should be particularly noted that if the dispensing closure is in the position shown in FIGURE with the bosses 73 engaging in the recesses 82 the spin cap 67 will be driven or rotated by the snap cap 66 through this interlocking or keying arrangement of the bosses and indentations. The spin cap 67 is similarly rotated by the snap cap 66 when the bosses 73 are engaged in the dispensing openings 81 of the snap cap 66 as shown in FIGURE 6 of the drawings.

When the driving tool 60 is coupled to the dispensing closure 65, the spin cap 67 is indirectly rotated through the snap cap 66 to melt the material at the bottom edge 74 of the skirt 70 and the shoulder 85 to form a generally annular spin-weld area 89, a portion of which flows in an annular volume or space 90 between the neck '88 of the container 83 and the skirt 70 of the spin cap '67. No welding occurs between the shoulder 85 of the container 83 and the bottom edge 84 of the snap cap skirt 80 because of the slightly greater length of the spin cap skirt 370, as has been heretofore noted.

While the spin caps 11 and 67, the snap caps 12 and 66, and the containers 14 and 83 have been described as being preferably constructed from plastic material, such as polyethylene, it is within the scope of this invention to construct each of these elements from other material such as metal so long as the dispensing closures and the containers are compatible with the product packaged therein and can be fused or spin-welded together in the manner heretofore described.

It is also desirable, but not necessary, to form the container 83 from the same material as the spin cap 67 in order that a high strength spin weld between these elements is achieved. That is, in the case of plastic material dissimilar plastic material can be spin-welded together but as a general rule the strength of the spin welded joint is generally less than that achieved when identical materials are spin-welded together.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the desired end. However, attention is again directed to the fact that variations may be made in the example dispensing closures and containers, the components thereof and the method of securing the dispensing closures to the containers without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of securing a closure constructed of fusible material to a container of fusible material comprising the steps of providing a closure of fusible material of the type having an end panel and a depending peripheral skirt terminating in a free peripheral edge, providing a container of fusible material of the type having a circumferential end portion terminating in a free peripheral edge and defining an opening of the container,

assembling the closure and container with the end panel of the closure axially spaced from the free peripheral edge of the cotainer and with means between the circumferential end portion and peripheral skirt for forming an annular chamber therebetween, and imparting relative rotation between the closure and the container whereby contacting portions of the closure and container other than said end panel and the free peripheral edge of the circumferential end portion are frictionally heated and at least some of the material thereof flows into and fuses within the chamber upon subsequent cooling thereby effectively securing together the closure and container.

2. A method of securing a closure constructed of fusible material to a container of fusible material comprising the steps of providing a closure of fusible material of the type having an end panel of a depending peripheral skirt terminating in a free peripheral edge, providing a container of fusible material of the type having a circumferential end portion terminating in a free pcripheral edge and defining an opening of the container, assembling the closure and container with the end panel of the closure axially spaced from the free peripheral edge of the cotainer, and imparting relative rotation between the closure and the container whereby contacting portions of the closure and container other than said end panel and the free peripheral edge of the circumferential end portion are frictionally heated and at least some of the material thereof flows into and fuses within the chamber upon subsequent cooling thereby effectively securing together the closure and container, and the contacting portion of the container being a shoulder portion disposed in opposed relationship to the free peripheral edge of the closure skirt defining the contacting portion thereof whereby the securement of the closure and container takes place between the peripheral edge of the closure and the container shoulder portion.

'3. The method of securing a closure to a container as defined in claim 2 including the steps of maintaining the circumferential end portion and the peripheral skir in at least partial spaced relationship by means disposed therebetween to define a chamber whereby a portion of the fusible material flows into the chamber and is confined therein.

4. A method of securing a closure constructed of fusible material to a container constructed of fusible material comprising the steps of providing a closure of the type defined by a pair of caps each having respective iapertured end panels and peripheral skirts terminating in free peripheral edges, providing a container of the type having a circumferential end portion terminating in a free peripheral edge and defining an opening of the container, assembling the closure and container with the peripheral skirts of the former and the circumferential end portion of the latter in telescopic relationship, imparting rotation to a first of the caps, rotating the other of the caps by means of the rotation imparted to the first cap whereby the other cap is rotated relative to the container, and maintaining portions of the other cap and the container in contacting relationship during relative rotation therebetween whereby the contacting portions of the other cap and container are fr-ictionally heated and the resultant flow-able material thereof fuses together upon subsequent cooling thereby effectively securing together the other cap and the container.

5. The method of securing a closure to a container as defined in claim 4 including the step of preassembling the pair of caps prior to assembling the closure and the container with the respective peripheral skirts and circumferential end portion in telescopic relationship.

6. The method of securing a closure to a container as defined in claim 4 including the step of automatically cutting-off communication between the interior of the container and the exterior thereof through the apertured end panels by effecting limited relative rotation between the caps until the apertures thereof are out of registration, and thereafter preventing further relative rotation between the caps.

7. The method of securing a closure to a container as defi ed in claim 4 including the step of maintaining the circumferential end portion and the peripheral skirt of the other cap in at least partial spaced relationship to define a chamber therebetween whereby a portion of the fused material flows into the chamber and is confined therein.

3. The method of securing a closure to a container as stirred in claim 4 wherein the closure and container are assembled with the free peripheral edge of the other cap in contact with the container and the free peripheral edge of the first cap in axial spaced relationship to a portion of the container whereby during relative rotation between the container and caps the other cap is fused to the container while the first cap remains unfused.

9. The method of securing a closure to a container as defined in claim 4 including the step of maintaining the free peripheral edge of the circumferential end portion in axial spaced relationship to the end panel of the first cap during the relative rotation between the container and the first cap whereby contact therebetween is prevented and material which would be otherwise rendered flowable is prevented from doing so and accidentally entering and contaminating the container.

it A method of securing a closure constructed of fusible material to a container constructed of fusible material comprising the steps of providing a closure of the type defined by a pair of members each having respective aperturcd end panels, providing a container of the type having an end portion terminating in a free peripheral, edge and defining an opening of the container, positioning the closure in the container in substantially axial alignment, imparting relative rotation between a first of the pair of members and the container while preventing relative rotation between the first member and the other member thereby establishing relative rotation between the other member and the container, and maintaining portions of the other member and the container in contacting relationship during relative rotation therebetween whereby the contacting portions of the other member and container are frictionally heated and the resultant flowable material thereof fuses together upon subsequent cooling thereby effectively securing together the other memher and the container.

11. The method of securing a closure to a container as defined in claim 16 including the step of preassernbling the pair of members prior to positioning the closure and container in generally axial alignment.

l2. The method of securing a closure to a container as defined in claim 1% wherein the other member includes a peripheral skirt defining one of said contacting portions.

The method of securing a closure to a container as defined in claim it} wherein the other member includes a peripheral skirt in spaced telescopic relationship to the end portion of the container and defining a chamber therewith whereby the resultant flowable material flows into and fuses within said chamber upon the cooling thereof.

References Cited EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner.

P. DlER, Examiner. 

